The sanctions exemption had been backed by a consensus of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reported, citing a diplomatic source.
"Our government has stood by the principle of honoring the sanctions regime and working closely with the international community as we conduct key inter-Korean projects … Our government's consultations with the committee regarding the inter-Korean railway survey have now wrapped up," an official from the South Korean Foreign Ministry told the agency on the condition of anonymity.
The US State Department, in its turn, told the outlet that it was committed to close coordination with South Korea on their joint response to the North Korean issue.
READ MORE: State Department Accuses North Korea of Illegal Shipping to Evade UN Sanctions
North Korea has for years been under UNSC sanctions that followed nuclear and ballistic missile tests conducted by Pyongyang in violation of the international organization’s resolutions.
